The government received an ultimatum from the Association of Hungarian Local Governments

It can result in the execution of Hungarian self-government and the inevitable bankruptcy of many Hungarian settlements. Viktor Orban notification of the business tax halving without any substantive consultation,

said on Saturday György Gémesi, President of the Association of Hungarian Local Governments (MÖSZ). In his Facebook post, the mayor of Gödöllő wrote that it was “immeasurably repulsive” that “the prime minister is using a coronavirus epidemic that has killed thousands of Hungarians to settle scores with municipalities not run by Fidesz.”

He emphasized that the business tax represents the majority of local government revenue, of which the municipalities operate public services, from public lighting to waste management, through road maintenance and metropolitan public transport, providing social assistance, child welfare and health.

Today’s static announcement by the Prime Minister could deprive millions of Hungarians of the services they deserve, regardless of who they voted for in municipal elections. Calling this crisis management a vile cynicism, ”wrote the president of MÖSZ, who also made demands on behalf of the association. They claim that

• the government should not make any decision on municipal revenue without an agreement with the municipal associations
• suspend the decision on the business tax until the local government meeting scheduled for January 15
• the government to develop a transparent, clean and politically free system to support and compensate local governments
• that the government negotiate on the merits with local government associations on reducing taxes paid by local governments to the state to deal with the economic crisis
• the government will involve local governments in the distribution of crisis management assistance provided by the European Union to Hungary.

Gémesi added that if the government “continues to take advantage of the serious health and economic situation caused by the epidemic to bleed settlements and municipalities.

Therefore, any legal form of protest is justified and necessary for the local governments and the Hungarian citizens living in our settlements.